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Friday, April 04, 2008

Recipe Favorites: Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan

(Updated April 2008) I'm starting to notice asparagus going on sale around here, and this grilled asparagus that I first made a few years ago is something that definitely deserves to be nominated as one of my Recipe Favorites. I love just about everything cooked on the grill, but fresh asparagus grilled and then sprinkled with some freshly-grated parmesan cheese is about as good as it gets.

This is my very favorite grill pan that I used to cook the asparagus. It's kind of like a wok with holes that sits on top of the grill slats, and it's ultra handy for grilling veggies. I have several of these, but I greatly prefer this type over the ones that have a long handle which makes it so you can't close the lid of your grill. If asparagus is starting to be in season where you live, I guarantee you'll love this way of cooking it.

Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan
(3-4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

Preheat charcoal or gas grill to medium high (you can only hold your hand over it for a few seconds at that heat.)

Place grill pan on top of grill and heat while you prepare asparagus. Break one piece of asparagus to see where the tough part of the stem starts, then trim ends of asparagus all to that length. Cut asparagus on the diagonal into pieces about 3-4 inches long and place in ziploc bag. Put olive oil into bag and sprinkle in a little salt and pepper, then mix asparagus around in the bag until it's well coated with olive oil.

Pour asparagus into grill pan and grill, turning every 2 minutes, until asparagus is getting browned edges and is barely tender-crisp. Cooking time will vary depending on your grill, but I cooked mine about 10 minutes. Serve asparagus hot with freshly grated parmesan sprinkled over.

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I know you recommend the Fini of Modena Balsamic vinegar. I bought some recently to test it.

I also had on hand a 1 liter bottle of the Kirkland (Costco brand) Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. I can't remember the price of it, but the Fini is only 8.45 fl oz.

I tasted both of them - trying to compare the flavor and aroma. The Kirkland brand is more syrupy (I don't know if that's good or bad - just different in body), but I thought the flavor was almost exactly the same. (Granted, my sense of taste may differ from yours).

You might try it, if you haven't done so already. At least you could use it for cooking that just needs a little kick of balsamic and reserve the Fini for special occasions.

Maria, we need to have a dinner and make some. (Maria is my neighbor!)

Sher, I have two bunches in my fridge right now.

Lydia, I bet the farm-grown asparagus is great.

Sophie, I love that pan. I think I got it at TJ Maxx.

Katerina, roasting is great too.

Tanna, I usually like the larger grated parmesan too, but on this I thought the finer grind coated the asparagus better.

Sandy-la, thanks for the tip on the Costco vinegar. I heard from another reader that it was good and I've been thinking of buying some. I was not impressed with the old Kirkland balsamic vinegar, but I noticed on the bottle that the one they now have is from Italy. I'll try it for sure, because the Fini brand is pretty expensive for me!(I do buy it at World Market where it's a lot cheaper than some places.)

Cyndi, I use this light box for most of my food photos. I don't have that much light in my house. (That link goes to a post which references my brother's web site, but you can also get it at Amazon.com or in a photo store.)

Richard, I *love* the idea of combining leeks with the asparagus. Will try it for sure!

Comments before this one were from April 2007 when I posted the updated version of this recipe. (Am I the only one who thinks it kind of fun to see the historical view of the comments when I do the recipe favorites?)

Yes, I definitely like the historical view of comments. As for asparagus, I think I'm getting a message - I just left Kalofagas where he was also making very nice looking asparagus. Time to go shopping...

Agreed -- this is one of my favorite ways to cook asparagus, and an especially good use for the fat spears, as they can stand up to the high heat of the grill. Your photos are getting better and better!

Thanks for joining the conversation! I love hearing from readers and even though I can't always reply to every comment, I will always answer specific questions on a recipe as soon as possible. Sometimes I'm answering by iPhone, so my replies may be short!

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